England and Arsenal forward struggled after 5am surgery on Christmas Eve but feels he has come back to a good place
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here were some upsides to the first serious layoff of Bukayo Saka’s career that enabled him to return with “a bit more of a balanced head about football and life”. More family time, more reading and more attention to a new puppy, Tucker the cockapoo, lifted the spirits during three months out with the torn hamstring that derailed his and Arsenal’s season. But in the lowest moments, which included going under the surgeon’s knife at 5am on Christmas Eve, the doubt that all elite sportspeople fear crept in.
“Looking back at it, I was happy with how I managed everything,” Saka says. “The first two days were the toughest, that realisation that I’ve got what I’ve got and I need an operation. You start to think: ‘Am I going to be the same?’ as players have come back from this injury and they weren’t the same. After two days the surgery was done and successful, and you just look forward. I was really positive and put in all the work I needed with my diet, in the gym, on the pitch, and the physios would say the same. I feel I’ve come back in a good place.”
Saka’s doubts were dispelled over the closing two months of a gruelling season, one that has yet to end for the 23-year-old as he prepares to make his first England appearance under Thomas Tuchel against Senegal on Tuesday. His Champions League performances against Real Madrid and Paris Saint‑Germain in particular brought reassurance at the highest level following several months on the sidelines. They also vindicated his decision to have surgery as soon as possible after tearing the hamstring against Crystal Palace on 21 December. Christmas 2024 was not the best.
